A/N: I am SOOO sorry for the last few chapters. I felt horrible for writing them, so I posted the last one a little early. This one should be better, and it's all romantic and nice. But, I have to ask that you not try to kill Deidara after this is over.
UNSPOKEN
Tsume awoke quickly, her eyes opening to see the starry sky. Memories flooded back, and anger bubbled up in Tsume as she thought of the pale-faced stranger that she know knew to be named Orochimaru; the man who had taken from her the parents that she could not remember. Tsume squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, remembering the burning pain in her neck. But, at feeling Kisame's strong arms around her, Tsume slowly relaxed. Her lips curved in a smile, and he opened her eyes. Kisame was looking down at her, the slightest of smiles curving his lips.
"Morning," he said quietly. Tsume's brows furrowed as she looked up at him questioningly. "It's not yet dawn, but it's morning. You slept really hard." Kisame's brow came together, and he lifted a hand to touch the curse mark that now marred Tsume's fair skin. She flinched at the touch. "From what Itachi told me, the curse mark stays visible from the moment it is bestowed." His voice was low, and it was as if he was speaking half to himself. "Why was yours hidden?"
Tsume bit her lip, and shook her head. "The earliest thing that I can remember is waking up in an alley and Aki-obaa-chan finding me and taking me home," her hands said. "My nightmares might be showing me things from the past. I know now that the pale-faced man—my tormentor—was Orochimaru. The dreams scare me so much, Kisame-sama. I'm glad that . . ." Tsume paused, a blush tinting her cheeks. "I'm glad that the nightmares don't come when you're close."
"I'm glad that I can do something right for you," Kisame said. He looked away, turning his face upwards towards the sky. "I'm sorry that I left like that, Tsume. But . . . it's dangerous for you to be around me. I'm a wanted criminal. I'll be targeted nearly everywhere I go. It's—it's not a good life for someone like you, Tsume."
Tsume responded by turning her torso to slide her arms around Kisame's chest. She snuggled as close to him as she could, trying to convey her thoughts without a single word or hand sign. She wanted to stay with Kisame more than anything; she would do anything to remain at this side. She would become as strong as she needed to be, do whatever she needed to do, if only to remain at Kisame's side for as long as she was alive. Nothing else mattered.
Kisame stiffened in mild surprise at the contact, but he soon relaxed and returned the embrace, tucking Tsume's head beneath his chin and hugging her close. He didn't understand why this felt so right, and he probably never would. But that was fine with him. As long as he could have Tsume near him. He had never wanted to leave her behind, but he had thought it best for her. Tsume deserved a quiet, happy life, one where she didn't have to fear for her life every day.
"Thank you," Kisame breathed. He placed a hand beneath Tsume's chin, and leaned back as he tilted her head up towards his. Tsume smiled up at him, one of her beautiful, beaming smiles. Kisame's hand shifted to cup Tsume's cheek, the pad of his thumb running over the smoothness of her pale skin. Her golden eyes looked up at him with slight uncertainty, but also with happiness. She was blushing again, a beautiful pink that only made her already pretty face all the more lovely. Kisame's hand shifted again, the tips of his fingers brushing lightly over the softness of her full lips. He vividly remembered how they felt against his own. So wonderfully delicate and smooth. So warm. He wanted to kiss them again. Kisame wanted to kiss Tsume again, to feel her lips more, to not have it be a kiss tainted with tears and sadness. She was so beautiful, so perfect.
Tsume found herself unable to look away from Kisame, a warm shiver running through her as his fingers brushed her lips, a kind, tender touch. She tilted her head slightly, body moving and acting of its own accord. Tsume pressed her lips ever so lightly against Kisame's fingers, blushing deeply at the gesture. She remembered all too well the feeling of Kisame's kiss. It had been so wonderful, but it had also been filled with grief. It had been a kiss of goodbye, of separation. If there was ever to be another kiss, Tsume hoped that it would be one of rejoicing, one of love and happiness. Kisame leaned down, the hand now beneath Tsume's chin lifting her up towards him. Closer and closer, until Tsume could feel his warm breath on her face.
"Tsume! You're awake, un!" Both Tsume and Kisame were jolted as the eccentric bomber artist launched himself into them, grabbing onto Tsume and holding her tightly. Tsume blushed furiously, while at the same time trying to breath around Deidara's crushing hug. "I'm so glad that you're alright, un!"
"Three times, Deidara," Kisame said. "Three. Damn. Times." Deidara paid no attention, and proceeded to drag Tsume from Kisame's arms to snuggle her in his own. Kisame watched the comic scene for a moment before a smile cracked his annoyed features, and he chuckled. He rose to his feet, stretching. "Well, everything's back to normal I suppose."
Tsume couldn't help but smile. Indeed, this sort of thing had become her life. Falling in love with shark ninjas, eccentric artists that liked to make things explode. A child-like, masked oder brother brother figure, and an elegant, stoic teacher. It was not a normal life by any means, but Tsume could never ask for anything more. And why should she? Tsume turned in Deidara's hold to return his embrace, smiling at his surprise.
They finally untangled, and rose to their feet. Tsume smiled and bowed her head to Deidara as he grinned back. Tsume rose up on on her toes to fix Deidara's hair. He kept grinning and ruffled Tsume's hair in return. As Tsume, Deidara, and Kisame simply stood in the silence, the sun began to rise, the sky streaked with pink, purple, orange and dusky purple. Birds began to sing, and Tsume heard a young fledgling ruffling its wings as it prepared to fly. Slowly, the bright orb of the sun peeked its shining face over the horizon, painting the sky with even more vibrant colors. Tobi and Itachi emerged from the trees, Tobi instantly rushing over to hug Tsume just as his partner had. As dawn broke over the shinobi—for shinobi Tsume now was—the young woman found herself happy, and not drawn back to the dawn that had taken away someone so dear. Dawn no longer brought back images of blood and pain, but now of purity and beginnings.
Making a bold decision, Tsume parted from Tobi, and moved over to Itachi. She smiled and bowed low to him in respect. And then, with all eyes watching, Tsume rose up and hugged Itachi, taking both him and the others completely by surprise. She breathed in his scent as she hugged him, memorizing it. He smelled of sandalwood, along with something dark and elegant, just as Itachi was. The scent instantly brought to mind the image of Itachi's Sharingan. Tsume had known who Itachi was for quite some time. He was the prodigy of the Uchiha who had slain all but one member of his clan at only the age of thirteen. To others, Itachi may have been a heartless killer, but to Tsume, Itachi was one of the people who had saved her from a futile and useless existence.
Drawing back, Tsume bowed to Itachi again, before turning and bowing low to all of them, for all were her saviors and the people she wanted to protect. They had become her family, and she would protect them with the will that Aki-obaa-chan had protected her. There was nothing more important to Tsume than her family and those she loved. Tsume loved all of them; Deidara, Tobi, Itachi, and Kisame. But Kisame was a special existence for Tsume. She loved him as more than family. And how could she not? He had saved her on more than one occasion, and his kindness was what had saved her and given her a second chance. It didn't matter if or when they had a relationship, if only they could be together, and fight side by side. That was what Tsume wanted.
Tsume ran to Kisame and hugged him, blushing as he caught her up in his arms. "Stop being so damn cute," Kisame mumbled into Tsume's neck, one hand weaving in her dark hair. Kisame turned his head to whisper in Tsume's ear so that only she could hear him. "I'm glad you're back, Tsume," he murmured, giving her a squeeze. Then Kisame drew Tsume back, looking into her eyes as he held her at arm's length. "So, you plan to come on our mission with us?" Tsume nodded. "And then following us back to Akatsuki?" Tsume nodded again, her face set. "There's nothing short of killing you that we could do to stop you, is there?" Once more, Tsume nodded, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest. "Fine," Kisame sighed, shaking his head with a defeated smile.
Tsume grinned in triumph, but after a moment of thought, she moved forward and stuck her hand inside Kisame's cloak. In response, Kisame made a very undignified noise. Tsume pulled out the scroll that her sword had been sealed in, and stepped back from Kisame. After getting a consenting nod from Kisame, Tsume unrolled the sealing scroll and laid it out flat against the ground. She brought her hands together, releasing the seal. After the smoke had cleared, Tsume was standing with her hand on the hilt of the massive blade, and another hand on her hip, her eyes clearly asking, "so, when do we leave?"
Kisame outright laughed. He walked over and pulled Tsume to him in a one-armed hug. Tsume blushed at the close contact, but she smiled. Kisame's face became serious, and he turned Tsume to look her full in the face. "You really want to come with us?" he asked.
"She made her decision when she came after you," Itachi said, moving further into the clearing, his pale face the same as ever. "If she wishes to fight this battle, then let her. You know that she is fully capable, Kisame."
"Tsu-chan is a good girl!" Tobi piped up.
UNSPOKEN
"The Mizukage has acquired a copy of the jutsu that the Akatsuki uses to extract the jinchūriki from their vessels," Itachi explained, pointing to the mission scroll that he had laid out on the ground. Tsume, Kisame, Deidara, and Tobi all sat around the scroll, listening intently to the Uchiha as he explained the mission that was before them. Tsume had already memorized the instructions given by the leader of the Akatsuki leader. No one would say the leader's name, and he was known simply as Leader-sama.
"We are to infiltrate the Mizukage's mansion, find the copy, and destroy it," Kisame said.
"While causing as little damage as possible," Itachi added, seeming to direct the instructions mostly at Kisame and Deidara.
"What?" Kisame said as innocently as he could.
"You tend to be too flashy, Kisame," Itachi said calmly. "And you, Deidara, the same could be said for you, except more so."
"No one appreciates my art, un!" Deidara bemoaned, looking piteously to Tsume, who gave him a sympathetic gaze. Deidara grinned. "Well, except for Tsume-chan, un!" Tsume smiled.
"But please be careful, Deidara-sama," she signed. "I don't want many people to get hurt. I may be willing to fight, but I don't want to kill."
Deidara gave Tsume an odd look, tilting his head to the side. "You're a strange ninja, un," he said. "You're a really nice person, too, un." Deidara shrugged. "I don't know why you like Kisame, either, un." Tsume blushed crimson, and Kisame's face was tinted with purple. Tsume tried her best to shoot a glare at Deidara, but failed miserably. Kisame, on the other hand, well practiced in the art of glaring, sent a gaze at Deidara that had the artist using a confused Tobi as an impromptu meat-shield. "What? Did anyone say anything, un?" he babbled. "Not me, un."
UNSPOKEN
A/N: Well, now you know what the mission is, and it has been established that Tsume likes Kisame, Kisame likes Tsume, and Kisame dispises Orochimaru. Thank you all for reviewing and reading! I luffs you all!